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Cameron Dunbar returned for his third season with the LA Galaxy in 2022, looking to make the next step up in his progression. After a tantalizing glimpse in 2020, he started to get some semi-regular run as a bench player last year with the first team.
But it was not more minutes at MLS level for the then-19 year old this season. In fact, he didn’t feature in MLS at all, making just one cameo in U.S. Open Cup play for the Galaxy, coming off the bench late in the 3-2 win over NISA side Cal United Strikers in May.
Here are Dunbar’s competitive stats with the Galaxy in 2022:
Cameron Dunbar LA Galaxy 2022 Statistics
| 2022 | Games Played | Games Started | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Shots | SOG | Yellow Cards | Red Cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Games Played | Games Started | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Shots | SOG | Yellow Cards | Red Cards |
| Regular Season | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| U.S. Open Cup | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Playoffs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
With playing time with the first team hard to come by, Dunbar was a fixture for LA Galaxy II this year in USL Championship play. Making 33 appearances, all starts, the winger scored 12 goals and three assists, second on the team in goals. Dunbar was second on the team in minutes played, and given his production, he’s absolutely a good player at USL Championship level at this point.
But with the Galaxy bringing in Douglas Costa, who plays the same position as Dunbar but is paid orders of magnitude more, the Carson native saw the path to playing time with the first team longer than ever, and I’m not sure what that means for him moving forward. It appears his contract is set to expire at the end of the year, and it’s unclear if LA will look to bring him back or not. I do not think returning to the Galaxy and playing for Galaxy II in MLS Next Pro will be good for his development, but I also don’t know if there’s a path to playing time for him with the first team. It may be a better idea to go to another USL Championship side to see if he can build on a strong campaign this year and see if he can get another look in MLS in the future, or maybe looking at possible opportunities abroad.
If this is it for Dunbar with the Galaxy, I think we can all bemoan the lack of looks he ultimately got. Yes, Costa was a Designated Player, but he wasn’t very good! Aside from his free kick scoring ability, was he clearly better than Dunbar? The jury is out, frankly. And all around, that’s a shame for everyone.
What do you think? Leave a comment below.
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